The Black Plague
by Lover of romance246
Summary: The kingdom of Miraculous has finally won the war! They have captured and imprisoned the weapon! Everyone is in celebration, but why does Lieutenant Ladybug feel like the war isn't over at all.
1. Chapter 1

**The new project is out! :)**

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If you didn't mind the bloody nose, bruised skin and scratch marks on his right cheek, he actually looks pretty cute. Well, from what you could see of his face that wasn't hidden by his mask. Ladybug had never seen him up close before, seeing him usually as he was running away.

But Ryuko really did a number on him. Most of his cuts were still bleeding. When Master Fu said subdue him, he didn't mean maim him. At least she was merciful enough to knock him out.

Ladybug stood against the furthest wall away from the cage. There are stories of this man ripping a person's rib cage out of his chest from three feet away. He's chained to the wall, but she'd rather keep all of her organs than take the risk of getting any closer.

She almost felt sympathy for him until a chill racked down his spine. She was being watched.

"I know you're awake. You can stop pretending now."

A low chuckle vibrated from his throat. He slowly lifted his head up and peeked one eye open. They were glowing purple. "What gave me away?" His voice was a low growl that echoed off the stone walls of the prison.

"You're poor muscle control. Next time you try to fake being severely unconscious try to remain perfectly still," she said. A cruel smirk crossed his face, practically oozing his bad intentions. It's probably the last thing his victims ever see. "I like you." She tried to fight down the blush that was trying to come up from his ever so blunt statement.

He tried to take a step forward but was yanked back by the chains. It was then he noticed his entrapment. The chains attached to steel cuffs that were wrapped around his wrist and ankles. The chains clacked and clanged as he tugged at them.

"Careful. You might pull your arms out of their sockets." These chains have been melted to double- reinforced stone walls and the cuffs were coated in numerous sealing spells. The only way out of them were the keys. He'd tear a limb off before he managed to get free.

It was almost an hour later before he tired himself out. He managed to weakly glare at her from his slumped position on the floor while he was heavily panting. He realized he couldn't force his way out of the chains so he tried a different approach. "Are the chains really necessary? I'm practically harmless in my current state."

"You killed two of my men as soon as you arrived here," she blanched.

"Exactly. If I had my full strength you would all be dead by now."

"Lucky us." There was a knock on the stone entryway of the dungeon. Rena was holding a tray of today's lunch for the prisoners: steak and potatoes.

The Black Plague stared at the plate in Rena's hand. She pulled out a key and opened the cell. With a quick sneer in his direction, she dropped the plate at his feet, walked out of the cell, locked it back and went to stand by Ladybug.

He stared at the plate then looked up at them. "Steak and potatoes? I never would've thought that I would get treated with such kindness when I finally got captured."

"And I never thought that the Black Plague would be so talkative."

"And handsome."

Ladybug scoffed. "More like full of yourself."

"So you don't think I'm handsome? I don't know. You were checking me out pretty hard earlier."

He's seriously been awake for that long. Ladybug sputtered as the blush she was trying to fight down became prominent. Rena's bewildered stare didn't help either. Trying to get things back on track, she asked: "What is Hawkmoth planning?"

The grin slipped away, replaced with a toothy grin. His teeth were sharp. "Can't say."

"Why's that? Bad kitties get punished you know."

"Can't be worse than what Hawkmoth can think up."

"We'll see." Ladybug started to walk away with Rena on her tail. The Plague looked up at me before I could pass him. The purple glow seemed to start fading from his eyes. "Hawkmoth is going to come."

"We'll be ready."

"Everyone says that until he comes. _Volo vobis felix funus._"

"_What does that mean?_" she thought. She continued to walk away. She had to go report to Master Fu. She spared him one last glance before she walked out of the dungeon and left him to the silent darkness. She didn't notice the black tattoo that formed on her arm.


	2. Chapter 2

**Super super late, I know. School is getting hectic. But same as with It's Magic My Dear I won't be able to update every week, but this fic will still be updated every Tuesday.**

* * *

The news of The Black Plague's capture had spread quickly. As Ladybug walked down the halls, whispers of their victory and wicked things of which they should do to the prisoner came to her ears before the knights and the chambermaids would see her and erupt into praise. Ladybug just kindly waved and quickened her pace. She wasn't the one who captured him. She had just told them where to look and was here to receive him.

The Black Plague is the most dangerous of Hawkmoth's weapons, not even considered human anymore. He's brought down whole civilizations and has killed millions. He brings destruction wherever he goes, leaving nothing in his wake.

Ladybug was instructed to track him down. It took her months to finally track him down to a cave outside of a remote village. He had been injured before-hand and was resting. He was in such a deep sleep that he didn't hear the crunching of the snow underneath her boots and she walked to the mouth of the cave.

When she returned a group of soldiers were sent out to the location she gave. A few came back in critical condition and he killed two while he was here. The rest of the soldiers were able to get him into the cell. But what he said is still ringing in her ears.

"_Volo vobis felix funus."_

"_What could he have meant by that?" _She thought. She knocked three times on the door and she was so deep in thought that she barely heard the soft 'come in' that followed suit.

Master Fu was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor on a green carpet. His eyes were closed and his hands rested on his knees. He would usually be found in this position whenever someone entered his room.

She quietly entered the room and kneeled down on the green carpet in front of him with her hands resting on her knees, patiently waiting for him to acknowledge her,

The laugh lines around his eyes from years of laughing crinkled as he opened his naturally squinted eyes and smiled at the young lady kneeled in front of him. "Hello Ladybug. I hear that The Black Plague has been captured."

"Yes." Fu tilted his head. "And yet you do not look happy."

"I'm just worried, Master. Something the Black Plague said is bothering me." Master Fu's assistant Wyazz the poofed into the room.

Wyazz is a kwami. A mystical creature of long ago that gives all the Miraculous Holders their powers and weapons. They act as both personal trainers and sometimes assistants and counselors. They can also change between their true forms and their humanoid ones, though some prefer to keep their original form.

He was holding two teacups full of herbal tea. He set a cup on top of a coaster in front of both of them. Master Fu nodded. "Thank you Wyazz."

"You are welcome, Master." He deeply bowed before disappearing n a puff of smoke.

"Now," he grabbed the cup's handle and raised it to his mouth, "tell me your worries."

"The Black Plague said: _volo vobis felix funus. _What does that mean?" There was no response. She hadn't noticed that she had bowed her head while she was talking and looked back up. What she saw rocked her to the core.

The usually calm Master Fu looked as if he had seen a ghost. His eyes had blown wide and the hand holding his teacup was trembling, making the tea inside the cup splatter all over the carpet.

"Master?" Are you all right?" Marinette asked.

"Yes. I am okay." He placed his teacup down on the newly saturated spot on the carpet and rubbed his forehead. His voice was strained when he continued on. "Do not worry, Marinette. Perhaps it was just a scare tactic."

"If you say so Master."

* * *

"She really did a number on you." Plagg sat on the floor in his human form beside Plague as he coughed up one of his lungs.

Soon after Ladybug and Rena left, Plagg poofed inside the cell in his human form to find Plague coughing up a puddle of blood. He used his magic to release the cuffs and the boy slumped over and clutch his sides. Plagg teleported beside him on the floor and patted his back.

"W-what happened?" He choked out.

"Hawkmoth took control of you."

He could tell that much from his pounding headache. "I mean before that."

"You should've been more specific then, " Plagg said. Plague reached out and tried to swat his arm but severely missed and ended up hitting air. He quickly moved his arm back to clutching his stomach as he coughed up more blood.

"You were injured and went to rest inside a cave, but you were sleeping so hard that you didn't wake up when the Miraculous soldiers found you and captured you."

"Did I hurt anybody?"

"Two dead and six in critical condition."

The dirty blonde groaned. Whenever the haze took over him, he loses complete control over both his mind and body. It was like sleeping. When you wake up, you know you've dreamt something but for your life you can't remember what it was.

Everytime he awakens from his haze he learns what happens either from Plagg or from the whispers of Hawkmoth's guards. Every detail would strike him with fear and horror of what he has done while under his father's control. Hawkmoth loved it though. He would boast of the crimes Chat had committed with pride, daring anyone to threaten his kingdom at the risk of fighting his greatest weapon.

This didn't bother him anymore though. He learned long ago that the only way to please him was to kill. Even if he never remembers doing so. As long as he killed for him, he was the proud weapon of Hawkmoth, the supreme ruler.

Both of his ears twitched before the door to the dungeon began to creak loudly as it opened. Plagg transformed back into his kwami from and hid inside one of the many pockets of his suit. Plague balled up further and covered his ears to desperately keep his already pounding headaches from getting worse.

The ringing in his ear was loud and getting louder. It had gotten so loud that he couldn't hear whoever was running towards him but rather felt the vibration of their feet hitting against the concrete floor.

He felt someone shaking his arm but he was too weak to do anything about it. Soon his whole world turned black.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm finally updating! Yay! Stuff been going on man! And Writer's Block is still a pain in the you know what. I hope everybody has a great week and holiday!**

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A cold drop of water dropped on his cheek, shocking him from his sleep. A cold wet material was suddenly laid on his forehead.

"Sorry." There was a woman sitting beside him. The hood of her cloak was pushed down and her brunette hair was tied into two pigtails with red ribbons. There was a bucket of water beside her black spandex covered hip.

"Who are…" He trailed off when she adjusted her hood, allowing him to see the strange trim. It was gray with crimson red polka dots a few inches of the hood before the red blended into the rest of the cloak. Only one person in all of Europe has that particular pattern on their cloak.

"Ladybug." He croaked before he started coughing again. A cup of some strange liquid was held out to him.

"Here. It'll get rid of your cough." With shaky hands, he took the cup. He wasn't scared of getting poisoned. They couldn't even if they tried. He took small sips of the drink. It tasted like peppermint and lemons.

"You were having a heart attack and fainted from lack of oxygen. You also have a small fever." She removed the wet compress from his forehead. She made sure not even the tips of her fingers touched him as she lifted it.

_Figures. One touch from the Black Plague leaves you dead within a minute. I wonder who ever made up that stupid tale. I don't blame them though._

"Where am I?"

"The Miraculous Base, or more specially, the Miraculous Base underground prison."

"We're underground?"

"Yep, So don't think about trying to escape as soon as I leave."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he groaned and rubbed the back of his head, it felt like a knot was starting to form.

"Did you bump your head or something while I was gone?" Her eyebrows disappeared under her ladybug themed domino mask when she furrowed them. "Or did you bump your head while the guards were carrying you back?"

"If they did I don't remember it," he groaned. He then erupted into another coughing fit. A spicy aroma suddenly wafted by his nose. There was a bowl in Ladybug's hand that she had just pulled the lid off of.

"It's vegetable soup. It should help your fever and the smell from the herbs and spices should clear up your fever." She put a plastic spoon -fresh from it's wrapping- in the bowl and pushed it towards him.

Plague tried to sit up but collapsed onto his elbows because he didn't have enough strength to make it the rest of the way. For a second, Ladybug looked like she was going to help him before seconding her idea and lowering her hand.

He noticed this, so because he couldn't sit up correctly he settled back on his elbows. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Master Fu believes that everyone should be treated like equals and with respect." Her answer was instantaneous and fluent as if she has had to repeat the same line over a million times.

"And what do you believe?" He asked without thinking. He should've just left it at her answer.

She didn't meet his eye and was silent for a moment before she eventually answered. "My beliefs do not matter," she whispered with the sound of a breath, luckily because of his enhanced hearing he could hear her just as well as he would've if she would've yelled it.

There was a bout of silence between them before another rack of his coughing echoed off the walls, this time bad enough that it knocked him back on the ground and curl up on his side, almost spilling over the bowl of soup.

"Eat it before that cough gets even worse." She scooted the bowl up closer to his hand.

When he reached for the spoon to pick it up, his arm hit something behind him that started to rattle. He looked behind him.

The chains swaying side to side made him realize something. It made him realize where he was, why he was here, and whose fault it is that he is here.

He's in an underground prison because he has killed millions of people under his father's control.

He's a criminal. The baddest of the bad. Someone who deserves the death sentence for all the harm he has caused.

He's the reason why millions of daughters are without their mothers and why millions of sons are without their fathers.

He's a monster. He deserves to be locked up, but it won't last.

He pressed his fingers against the chains. He could feel magic thrumming underneath the cool metal. The chains were enchanted with very strong magic.

_Sounds about right._

"Rena will bring your meals. Carapace will be guarding your cell." He was listening, but he didn't acknowledge her statement this time. He just watched as a set of chains swayed while rubbing another with the pad of his thumb.

On her way out after locking the cell door, she could see him wearing an enchanted cuff on his left arm and working on putting on the left.


	4. Chapter 4

**Almost out for Christmas and New Years Break. Two more days.**

* * *

Ladybug stood above the courtyard on the roof of the Miraculous Base. She leaned over the bricked wall and watched as the guards trained below.

The Miraculous Base was once a middle school. It was abandoned a few years ago before Master Fu saw potential in the decomposed building and bought the land for it under a false alias during the time when the first three Miraculous holders joined together.

To make more money for weapons and training gear and to pay for the land bill, the Miraculous Holders would take jobs and quest from the locals. They would vary from delivering goods and messages to slaying akumas and beasts the villagers would find on their travels.

They soon made a name for themselves in Paris and eventually around Europe. Many people would travel to their base and watch to watch them train, become a recruit in the guards or gawk over the different heroes. But all that tourist attention soon attracted Hawkmoth.

The base was attacked often by akumas, but they always fought them off, until came the Big Blow.

After the Big Blow, Master Fu decided that it was time to go into hiding.

So mini bases were built across Europe with three Miraculous Holders and an army of trained soldiers in each and the main Miraculous Base disappeared off the face of the earth to everyone outside of all the Miraculous Holders and the elite guard. It's still a kept secret to this day.

Downstairs in the training grounds(the old auditorium), the instructor had pulled one of the soldiers out of the group to make an example. The rest of the soldiers were kneeled in a straight line as they watched on.

The soldier that was pulled aside was a new recruit from a village far east, joined after Hawkmoth declared war on them and ravaged it. He's only been a member of the Miraculous Army for three months. For some reason, the trainer has been targeting him for a while now.

"In position!" The soldier slowly got in position, his sword held outward in front of him and his feet spread. The instructor charged.

Their swords clashed against each other. Once. Twice. A third time. Every clash of the two swords' metal would admit sparks. The new recruit lasted 3 minutes of sparring before he seemed to drift off. The instructor took the opportunity to knock the training sword out of his hands and knock him off his feet. The instructor pointed his swords towards his chest.

"You're dead! Lousy form! Unsteady balance! Why did Master Fu even recruit you? You're practically worthless!"

"Instructor Louis! That is enough!" Ladybug jumped over the railing on the roof and landed perfectly on her feet. She marched over to the two and batted the instructor's sword away before offering the recruit a hand. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, ma'am." He grabbed her hand and let her help pull him up. Instructor Louis stormed off grumbling under his breath as the boy dusted his pants off.

"What is your name?" Ladybug asked.

"Arnou Belmont. Thank you again, milady." He bowed then walked off towards the barracks. The other soldiers followed behind him.

"So I guess there's a new trainer position open." Rena walked up behind her with two granola bars from the kitchen's vending machine in each hand, holding out one for her.

"Did he quit?" She accepted the granola bar and peeled off the wrapper before taking a bite.

"I'm not entirely sure. I was just coming from the dungeon when he stormed past muttering about 'work ethics'"

"How is he by the way?" Ladybug took another bite of her granola bar then started walking towards the building for guard duty. Rena followed.

Soldiers and nurses were pushing trays waved at them from the north and south hall as they started walking up the stairs in between the two halls.

"We do have other prisoners beside him, you know. He isn't the only mouth down there that we have to feed."

"Sorry. I'm just worried. He could try to break out."

"The prison is impenetrable. There's no way he's getting out." Once they were on the second floor they took a left and walked all the way down the hall. Rena placed her hand on the bricked concrete. A green laser scanned her hand and the wall opened up leading to a dark room. "Carapace is down there with him now. He can handle himself."

"It's not him I'm scared of."

"Why are you so scared of the Black Plague?" Rena turned towards her with her hand on her hip and her eyebrows furrowed: her detective stance. "I get that he works for Hawkmoth and has a kill count that goes through the roof but this seems like it goes deeper."

"It's… complicated." Before Rena could inquire any further, Ladybug walked into the dark room and Rena followed her. The wall slid back behind them as if it was never disturbed.

* * *

"Did they capture him?" Hawkmoth stood with his hands behind his back in front of a window. The window shined the only light in the room.

"Yes sir. They found yesterday morning. It's all going according to your plan."

"Good. Good. Now I have one more job for you, Lila. I need for you to deliver a message."


	5. Chapter 5

**School's back in. Which means no free time for me. Yay!(sarcasm intended.)**

* * *

The fox had brought him a plastic cup full of water and a tray of food. It sat in the same spot- on the ground inches away from his feet- as it did when she had brought it. He refused to touch a drop. Plague kept his head down and his arm chained above his head. His wrists were becoming itchy though; now he thinks maybe he shouldn't have closed the cuffs so tight.

He was well aware of the turtle who was guarding him. His eyes were burning a hole through his forehead. This boy was either too eager to please or had a question he was dying to ask but was too scared to ask. It was starting to get annoying. He felt like the main attraction at a museum exhibit.

"Staring is rude, you know." His voice was hoarse and his throat was drier than the Sahara Desert. Maybe he did need a drink of water.

"Are you a masochist or something?" Plague didn't expect him to respond. Ever since he came to the dungeons and sat in that chair in front of him he hasn't said a word around him. At first glance, many would think that he wasn't that much of a talker.

"I'm just asking. I've seen the other prisoners wear their chains less than you do. Your wrists look like they are about to fall off too."

His arms were so stiff that he couldn't tell. They just feel itchy. He hasn't moved his arms or hands in awhile. He prefered to just let them and the rest of him hang.

"You look like death dude."

That sparked a chortle. It hurt his throat. He feels light-headed.

"When is the last time you've eaten?" His voice was heavily muffled like he was talking underwater, but he understood enough to mutter something back. If it was coherent he did not know.

"Hey_! Can you hear_…."

* * *

After The Plague passed out, Carapace called Master Fu, Wyazz, Rena Rouge, and Ladybug. Master Fu walked inside the cell and unlocked his cuffs. The sight made Ladybug and Rena gasp and Carapace almost puke.

The skin on his wrist was peeling and the flesh underneath was pink and swollen, crusted over with dried up blood that had turned black.

Wayzz pressed two fingers to the side of his neck to check his pulse. "He's breathing, but his pulse is very low."

"He hasn't eaten or drunk anything for a week. It's a miracle he's alive."

"Maybe this is his repent for all the people he's killed." Rena hypothesized.

"Or maybe the Gods have damned him for the rest of eternity." Carapace suggested. Rena and Carapace started bouncing ideas off of each other as Wayzz hovered his hand over Plague's chest. A warm green glow emitted from his palm. Soon Chat's breathing returned to normal and his skin regained it's healthy color.

"His vitals haven't been completely restored yet, but they are better. Carapace. Rena. Can you go to the Cafeteria and gather some leftovers from yesterday. Ladybug stay here." Rena and Carapace nodded then walked out of the dungeon to the cafeteria. Their conversation continued as they walked down the hall.

"Come Ladybug." She was cautious as she walked over then kneeled beside Master Fu and Wayzz at the unconscious Plague's side. A small washcloth materialized in his hand. It emptied a green glow too.

"Press this against both of his wrist 30 minutes each. It should heal the damaged skin." Fu said then passed the cloth to her hands.

"Yes Master." Him and Wayzz then stood up and walked out of the cell and the dungeon.

"Master Fu, wait!"

"What is the matter, Wayzz?"

"When I was inspecting his body, master, I felt something. It's like there's a war between two entities inside of him and he's been caught in the middle. Master, the boy is slowly dying."

* * *

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." When he opened his eyes he awakened to a fox-like mask and sneaky green eyes.

"Volpina," Plague sneered.

"Hello kitty," she smiled.

"How many times have I told you to stop calling me that." He was unsteady when he stood up. They were standing in the mindspace, a place of endless creativity. Whatever you could imagine or wish for could happen in the mindspace. The one they were in was pitch black. Volpina entered his mindspace. So he was unconscious.

"Exactly forty-nine times, but every time you tell me not to makes calling you that even sweeter." She was wearing her Volpina suit, a darker version of Rena's own.

"What do you want, Volpina?" He was getting tired of her and his inflamed limbs didn't make listening to her honeyed voice any better.

"Hawkmoth can sense any pain you cause to yourself. He says to stop.

"Why does he care? I can't die anyway."

"Though you can't die, you can still get injured and your body can still get broken. Hawkmoth needs you at your best." She had stepped closer to him in her explanation. She clutched his arm in her crushing grip, digging her long fingernails into the thin layer of skin of his arm. "He also knows about that girl."

"What… girl?" He grunted out as he tried to pry her fingernails out of his arm.

"Ladybug, that girl who they have taking care of you right now." Beside them a live video of Ladybug draining a washcloth then folding it in half and pressing it to his wrist. So that explains why his wrists felt so heavy. "Hawkmoth remembering her and he knows you do too."

"She has nothing to do with this." He cried out when Volpina dug her nails deeper.

"She will be if you get her involved. Just remember why you're there and she won't get hurt. Crystal?" A purple outline of a butterfly framed her mask and her voice was joined by another more masculine one. Hawkmoth had joined in the chat.

"Crystal." Volpina smiled and ripped her nails from his arm then kicked him to the ground. Plague gritted his teeth and clutched his arm as Volpina stared down at him smirking, "Good."

Plague opened his eyes back to the drab concrete ceiling of his cell. He could still feel the moist washcloth and the slight pressure of Ladybug's hand holding the cloth to his wrist. He could hear her shuffling as she got up to change wrist. The water in the bucket made a quiet splashing noise then the water dribbled back into the bucket. A cooling sensation enveloped his wrist. He noticed another tray of food beside his stomach. There was a block of cheese on it. He could feel Plagg starting to stir in his pocket.

"You should try to take better care of yourself." She wouldn't look at him but there wasn't anyone else in the room so she was definitely talking to him. Her eyes remained on the enchanted healing washcloth.

"Where's the turtle?"

"Gone."

"With the fox?"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't. It just seems like there was something more there than friendship." Especially with how whenever they thought that he was asleep, the fox would bring a basket of food and drinks and they would eat lunch or just sit and talk about whatever came to mind while he had to listen to Plagg telepathically gripe about how disgusting they are.

"And what if they are? What would you do?"

"Nothing. Is there something that I need to do?"

"No."

"Then I won't do anything."

"Good."

"There was a gap of silence between them. After 5 minutes she removed the cloth from his wrist. The dried blood was gone and the swelling had gone down. The skin had healed nicely.

"Thank you."

"Just take better care of yourself. It's getting annoying trying to revive a living corpse." He winced at that. If Ladybug saw, she didn't care. The bucket and cloth dispersed into tiny specks of glitter before disappearing and she didn't look back as she walked out of the cell, locked the door, then completely out of the dungeon.

Plagg launched out of his pocket to the tray of food with the block of cheese. "Man! That girl really does hate you. But she is right, you do need to take better care of yourself." he said with a mouth full of cheese.

"Sorry Plagg. I'll do better."

"Good. Now maybe you could talk to me." Plague and Plagg both looked up. Master Fu was standing in front of his cell with Wayzz in his kwami form. "Hello Adrien. We have much to talk about."


	6. Chapter 6

"Welcome back Plagg. I asked the kitchen for the finest wheel of camembert they had. You look starved." Master Fu scooted the plate closer to the famished kwami.

"Thank you, Master." Plagg tried to say with his mouth filled with cheese.

"And you Adrien, it has been a long time. The last time I saw you you were but a child, bright eyed and carefree."

"A lot has happened since then, Master."

"Yes, it has." He then turned sullen. He was far off in the past, remembering the day his one of his best students disappeared, the tragedy that followed, and the heartbreak that Marinette's faced when she realized that he was really gone. "She did not take your disappearance well."

"She's forgotten about me."

"She has never forgotten about you. She is still grieving."

"She hates me."

"She hates the man in front of the beast that Hawkmoth controls."

"We're the same."

"No you are not. Which is what I wanted to talk to you about."

* * *

"This is a dump!" The room used to be an old storage room. Every wall was stacked halfway to the ceiling with junk. Most of the junk was covered with a plastic sheet, and what wasn't was stuffed into large garbage bags. It looked to have been abandoned a long time; everything was covered with a thin layer of dust.

Plagg flew circles around the room, kicking an old tomato can and retching in disgust when a family of roaches scurried out from inside of it. He flew back over to Plague's shoulder. "Well, have fun cleaning this pigsty up."

"Actually Plagg, I believe there is someone you'd want to see." There was a teasing smile curled on Fu's face.

"Oh yeah." The biggest smile Plaguehas seen him have in 4 years slid on his face. He had forgotten Plagg knew how to smile. All he does now is smirk and frown. "Good luck kid." And he was gone.

"Do I really have to clean all of this up my myself?"

"Think of this as punishment for that prank you pulled 5 years ago." Fu patted him on the back and said this before departing: "I will leave you to your work. No one will know you sleep here unless you reveal it to them yourself." The door shut with a click behind him.

Plague sighed as he knew took in the messy room. He had a lot of work to do.

* * *

It was nighttime and past everyone's curfew, but Marinette was wide awake. With every twist and turn she grew more annoyed and antsy until she just flopped on her back. She groaned in frustration.

"Marinette?" It was dark inside the room but she could hear the quiet buzzing of Tikki's wings. She still sounded sleepy.

"Go back to sleep, Tikki."

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" Tikki ignored her and flew over to sit on her pillow beside her head. "Is it the nightmares again?"

"No, Tikki. They haven't bothered me in months."

"You still call out his name in your sleep."

"You still call out your other half's name too, Tikki."

The little bug kwami's cheeks turned even redder at the mention of her other half. He was Adrien's kwami. When Adrien disappeared, so did he.

Because they were meant to be a pair, there's a magical bond between them that each other feel their magical essence. She could still feel his so she knew he wasn't dead.

But his side of the bond grows dimmer every passing second, and that isn't a good thing for kwamis. If their magical essence flits out, they die. She can't help but worry if she would ever see her lover again. Seeing the crestfallen look of Tikki's, Marinette felt guilty. "I'm sorry, Tikki. I shouldn't have brought him up."

"It's okay. We both lost people that day." Marinette rubbed small circles on Tikki's head. It brought a small smile to her as the rubbing became therapeutic. There was a knock on the door. A grumpy groan startled the two.

"Who would be knocking at this hour?" Alya had a bad case of bedhead and blurry vision. She reached for her glasses on the nightstand but ended up knocking them on the ground.

"Don't worry Alya." Marinette pulled their covers back and her socks covered feet hit the chilly floor. She crouched down and picked up Alya's glasses off the ground. Tikki's eyes followed her from her pillow. "I'll open the door."

Alya mumbled a sleepy 'mkay' before curling back under her covers.

Marinette padded over to the door and peeked through the tiny peephole. The tell-tale ying-yang Miraculous symbol on his chest proved his loyalty. The guard was standing away from the door. He was still on duty and in full armor. HIs head guard was missing, and he was carrying a letter in his hand. She twisted the lock and opened the door.

"Letter for Rena Rouge from the Master." Following his learned protocol, he didn't meet her eyes, instead focusing on the wall behind her.

"Thank you. You are dismissed." He nodded and he marched back down the halls and Marinette shut the door, holding the letter up to the small source of light the lamp in their room provided. The ying-yang Miraculous stamp held the rolled up letter together.

"What does it say?" Alya had sat back up in her bed. Her sleeping mask was pushed up on her forehead and she had smoothed down her bedhead. She was still sleepy though, her eyes were half-massed.

When she unrolled the parchment, intrigant cursive lettering flooded down to the bottom of the paper. "It's a mission request." There has been akuma sightings in Marne-la-Vallee. The people there think that they may have established a base there." She handed the parchment to Alya. She started reading it herself.

"It says I can bring a partner. Do you want to come?" Her enthusiastic grin fell when she saw the pointed look Marinette was giving her. "Oh, right."

"You know Master Fu doesn't let me leave the base anymore." A few days after Plagueand his kwami disappeared, Master FU banned her from going on missions and leaving the base. He said that being without Adrien, her partner, for so long would make her powers frits out. Without him her powers were incomplete and would quit on her when she would need them the most and would take more energy from her.

So Master FU keeps her in the base. He gives her jobs to do such as training the troops when their trainer would go into one of his many rages or healing the soldiers injuries when they would come back from their missions.

It was irritating. Marinette had always been on the front line ever since she was little. She had been trained to start the front lines. Now to be stuck at the base, she felt pretty useless.

"Sorry Marinette. Maybe I can talk Master FU into letting you come on this one."

"It;s okay, Alya. You can take Carapace."

"Are you sure?" She still looked skeptical.

"I'm sure."

"If you're sure then. Hey, where's Tikki?"

When Marinette turned around and sure enough the spot on her pillow where Tikki was was empty. "I don't know. She was just laying there a minute ago."

* * *

"Plagg!" Tikki clung to the cat kwami's leather jacket as she sobbed on his chest. Plagg rubbed small circles on her back and gently shushed her sobs. "Don't cry. I'm here. I'm finally here."

"B-But, w-where have you been. H-how are you here?" They were standing on top of the dormitories in their human forms. A full moon was out and was the one and only light between them that let him see her beautiful but tear-stained face. He wiped away a runaway tear. "It's a long story."

"We have time."

His lips curled into something that was meant to be a smile, but didn't quite make it. Whatever it was, it was laced with saddeness, matching the deep emotion in his eyes.

"Not as much time as you think, sugar cube.""


	7. Chapter 7

**Enjoy and good night!**

* * *

Plague remembers the Base from when he was little. It has changed a lot since then. For starters, there are a lot more people. When he was little, living in the base, everything was new and scarce. They didn't have as many resources or people as they did now. They had to use tree branches as training swords and they had to clean their own beddings. They did have a cook, but he was a sickly man who didn't know when his last meal would be. Sometimes they would have to cook their own meals.

Now maids, cooks, soldiers and guards all walked past him giving him dirty looks. But what sane person wouldn't look strangely at an unknown man wearing a cloak and walking in their place of comfort.

Before Plagg went to go see Tikki, Plague told him to drop their transformation. Plagg was used to the strain, having been forced to hold the transformation for long periods of time before. He didn't need to feel that strain when he was reuniting with someone he missed.

He had other clothes besides from his transformation, but he didn't have time to pack before he was captured by Miraculous guards. He did have on clothes underneath during the transformation but eventually he'd have to go but some more.

Before he knew it he was standing in front of the door of the Training Grounds(the old Auditorium), and by the sound of it, someone was training.

Ladybug walked down the long corridor that led to Plague's cell with a hot tray of pancakes and bacon. Since Rena was gone on a mission with Carapace, she was the main caretaker of the Black Plague. The guards handled the other prisoners as usual.

He started to take better care of himself. He was finally eating and drinking regularly and his arm was almost fully healed. She still didn't like taking care of him, but for some reason she's glad that he's in better health and spirits. She also realized that the more time she spends around him, the more familiar he seemed. More memories would surface but they were fuzzy with time where she couldn't quite place her finger on the person in the memory.

At the end of the long hallway, she pushed open the large heavy door.

She then dropped the tray. Panic started to set in.

The cell was empty. The Black Plague was gone. She needed to inform Master Fu _now_.

She raced out of the dungeon in search of Master Fu. She found him just leaving out of his office with Wayzz floating behind him. "Master Fu!" She stopped in front but rested her hands on her knees because she had to catch her breath.

"Why are you in such a rush, Ladybug?"

"T-the Black Plague has escaped." Master F didn't look alarmed. He looked like he just remembered something. "I am sorry I was just on my way to tell you. I let him out of the dungeon."

_What. _"What?"

"The young man does not deserve to rot away in a cell in the pits of a dungeon."

"But Master…"

"All will be revealed in time. Trust me." He then turned and walked away with his hands intertwined behind his back discussing a problem with the Base with Wayzz.

"_For how long am I going to have to go off of just trust, Master Fu?"_

* * *

From the amount of time he's been watching, he knows that the boy has talent. His technique was okay but could be better and his sword skills were not too shabby. There were still a few other kinks that he could work on too.

He was laced with sweat and gripping the training sword with white knuckles as he struck the dummy again and again. They were the only two here.

After a few more hits, the brunette dropped the sword and wiped the sweat from his brow. "What? You wanna spar too?" He said without turning in his direction. Plague stepped out of the shadows but didn't move far from his spot. He was comfortable leaning against the door frame.

"You're pretty good. I'm guessing you're a new recruit."

"Why do you guess that."

"You're inexperienced. It shows in your footwork and technique."

"What's wrong with my technique?" There was an edge of frustration to his voice. It was a frustration from painstaking training that was only met with ridicule and scorn: a frustration he could relate to.

"I could go for a spar." He answered his question from earlier. He leaned off the door frame and walked towards the middle of the training grounds in front of the soldier. The boy grabbed another training sword and tossed it to him. He caught it by the hilt and passed it from hand-to-hand to test its weight. He twirled it in his right hand before getting in his stance.

The dark haired soldier charged holding his sword to his side with both hands before he struck. Plague parried his strike with his own sword and dodged the next. With precise footwork he continued to dodge and parry his opponent's attacks and give them back in turn.

The soldier had his own defenses too. Though he was a little slower, he was able to dodge a few of his attacks before Plague struck in his side. He hissed and clutched his side. While he was distracted, Plague kicked him in his chest and sent him sprawling to the floor. He walked over and offered him a hand-up. He looked from his face -that was hidden by the cloak- to his hand he offered before he grabbed it and was pulled up.

"You have good swordsmanship and good spirit, but you lack self control. Blindly charging in and swinging your sword around in battle you only get you killed."

Plague walked over and inserted the training sword back into its place on the weapons rack with the others. The boy was panting in a tucked in position on the floor. On a partially deep breath he flinched when the bruise started throbbing. He looked up when he heard the hooded man retreating. "W-wait."

"What?" Plague stopped walking and turned his head back.

The other male stumbled to his feet still clutching his side in pain, but there was a slight smile on his face. 'Maybe you can teach me something after all."

A hint of a smile curled on Plague's lips. Of course the other boy didn't see it because of the cloak. "First, you should take care of that bruise."

* * *

Marinette hid behind the second door. Arnou had left the old auditorium through the other door to go to the ice his bruise while Plague sat in a chair against the wall and waited on him to return.

Coming from Fu's office she had heard voices when she was passing by the training room. She got curious.

She watched as the Black Plague struck and dodged with the grace of a swan and the accuracy of an eagle.

"He's pretty good." Tikki whispered in her ear. Tikki came back late. When Marinette woke up Tikki was curled up against her cheek, a pleasant smile gracing her lips. She must have had a good dream, but she still wonders where she disappeared off to.

"They just spared, Tikki. It wasn't even that long either. You can't know one's skill from just one fight, especially when he was fighting a newbie."

"But did you see that bruise? He wasn't brandishing the sword that hard was he?"

"No." She thought back to when he was fighting with the training sword. There was force behind his swing yes, but it wasn't enough to bruise.

"He's dangerous, Tikki. I wonder why did Master Fu even let him go."

"Maybe he didn't do it on purpose." Tikki said, remembering the late night talk she had with Plagg.

"But killing is in his blood, Tikki. Any pain he inflicts he means."

"Looking at her Mistress, there was a burning anger raging in her eyes for the man sitting just inside that room. But there was also a deep sadness hidden beneath that anger. Just what happened to her Master to make her feel as so.

* * *

**R&R.**


	8. Chapter 8

Plague's hearing has heightened from years of strained transformations. Plagg's cat-like abilities had brushed off on him, enhancing his five senses.

He could see her peeking out from behind the door in his peripheral vision. He also heard her like she was talking into a bullhorn instead of whispering to her kwami. _She hates me._

He stood from his chair when the soldier walked back into the training room, still clutching his side but there was a bandage shaped bulge there that wasn't there before. He looked annoyed. "The nurse said that I was fine, but no more fights for the day."

"We can start back tomorrow then. Get some rest." Plague walked away then, not leaving any room for disagreement from the soldier. His cloak flared out behind him when he walked out the exit - the alarm having long ago been deactivated- and out into the open.

Marinette wasn't behind the door anymore. But he could still smell lingering in the wind.

"Excuse you!" Someone bumped into his and almost knocked him over. He was a lanky man dressed in armor that was too big and too bulky for him. He had a bushy goatee and a combover. He was holding his helmet under his arm. "My soldiers and I need to train." He then walked into the old auditorium with his chest puffed out and his nose stuck up in the air.

"_Must be the trainer." _Plague turned tail back towards his room. He's tired of people and their mightier than thou attitudes.

When he returned to his room Plagg was laying on the small desk set against the opposite wall to his bed. He opened his eyes when the door closed.

"What happened, kid?" Plagg yawned. :You look as if someone ate the last slice of camembert in front of your face."

"Wake me up at twilight, Plagg." He dragged his feet over to his bed and collapsed onto it, smothering his face into his pillow.

"What for?" He was still drowsy. He fluttered to the bde, losing altitude two or three time before he finally made there.

"We're starting the plan tonight."

The sky was dark when Adrien snuck out of his room. Every soldier and Miraculous Holder were asleep in their beds, and the guards were easy to sneak by.

Plague ditched the cloak and transformed with Plagg. The cloak would've gotten in his way. He feels more comfortable doing stealthy missions while in the transformation anyway.

He waited for the guards to change shifts before he sneaked around the curve of the old school and into the forest surrounding it. He figured out from his walks around the base that the force field expands further out than the building, but he wasn't able to see how far because of the guards.

Once he entered into the forest he broke out into a sprint. The trees gave him the push to run faster and the soft ground from rain before padded his footsteps to keep the tranquility. The force field emits a low humming sound, but it's also invisible. He kept running closer and closer to the edge of the forest until he could hear the faint humming.

And the breaking of sticks.

He cut his run short and quickly climbed up a tree and hid behind it's truck. He peeked around the trunk.

Marinette was sitting on her knee breaking sticks from the pile beside her in half and then tossed them into the fire. There was a baby fawn laying in her lap. It's hind leg was wrapped in bandages. It's chest rose and fell as he rested, though it looked slower than he thought normal. She petted it's fur as it slumbered.

The humming was clear in his ears. It was coming from right next to her. Then this must be the end of the force field. Now to figure out how to deactivate it.

A sharp end of a stick whipped past his cheek and embedded in the tree trunk, inches away from his face.

"Come out now!" He sighed at the command of the girl below him and landed on his feet when he dropped to the ground. "Lovely night isn't it, macron tout roud."

She blinked, severely caught off guard by the sudden nickname.

"Cat's got your tongue?"

SHe glared at him from the ground. She couldn't get up without disturbing the fawn. Her voice was an angry hush too. "Why are you here?"

"Can't a man just venture into the forest to enjoy the sights?" He pointed at the deer at the fawn on her lap. "What happened to it?"

"He ate poisonous berries."

"Did you see what color they were?"

"No. Wait, what are you?" Plague crouched down to her a closer look at the baby deer's snout. WHen he reached out to tilt the baby's face face the other way Marinette hugged it closer to her body."

"I'm just trying to check for berry bits around his mouth." He was gentle when checking the fawn's snout, making sure to avoid touching it with his claws. He curved his claws away his fingertips and the baby's fur. There was red berry bits and juice coating the fur around its mouth. There were tiny round seeds tangled up in it's fur too.

"Black bryony." He started digging in his pocket and pulled out a navy blue pouch. He pulled the string and the pouch fell around a vial filled with a light pink liquid. "They are poisonous."

"I thought black bryony didn't grow on this side of the forest." She eyeballed the vial wearily.

"They don't. They usually grow in the woods. Someone must have planted one here or the wind blew some of it's seeds here." He nudged it's mouth open with his thumb and poured the liquid past it's lips and down it's throat. The fawn's eyes twitched as it tried to open them. Marinette shushed it still and it fell back into a slumber. It's chest rising and falling in a still slowed pace but slightly faster.

"The antidote is kicking in, It's going to be fine." He rose from his kneeling position and put the empty vial back into the pouch. He walked towards the humming sound. He stopped when the hummin sounded like it coming from right in front of him. He reached his hand out to feel for it.

"The field emits a silent siren to the kwamis and Master Fu. If you touch it they'll know you're here." She was petting the top of the fawn's head. It's ears flicked back and forwards in unconscious enjoyment. He then remembered her words from earlier.

"_He's dangerous."_

"Why are you telling me this? You hate me." Her fingers stopped petting for a moment then continued at a slower pace.

"I don't know, maybe because of gratitude."

"A simple thank you would have sufficed."

"..."

'_Of course.' _He has the information he needed. He tucked his pouch back into his pocket and walked past Marinette back into the forest.

"Thank you." It was soft and wind-swept when it reached his ears. But it made him smile nonetheless.

* * *

**R&R**


	9. Chapter 9

With one last hit, the dummy's head went flying across the room and smacked against the wall.

"This is the 3rd dummy. If you keep beheading dummies you're gonna have a to explain to Instructor Louis."

"Instructor Louis is an idiot," the soldier said before changing subjects. "You know, we never traded names." He was taking a deep breath and leaning on the training sword for support while Plague went to get a replacement dummy.

"You never asked."

"I'm asking now. Mines is Arnou."

That brought out a chuckle. "Plague."

"You mean like The Black Plague?"

"Yep." He replaced the dummy and looked up expecting to see fear and judgement. But he didn't see any. He was still leaning on the training sword but he seemed more curious than before.

"DId you break out or something?"

"No. Master Fu let me out." Arnou looked shocked at that answer.

"But didn't you kill like a million people?"

"Two million."

"Why did he let you go then?"

He set the dummy down and was quiet as he thought over his and Master Fu's conversation.

"I don't know." He lied.

Arnou dropped the conversation and lifted back up his sword and got into position.

They trained with the sword for a few more minutes before he switched back over to iron gauntlets. Plague was surprised by his choice of a second weapon. When he was younger at the base they were only allowed to learn swordplay. He didn't learn how to use the other weapons until Hawkmoth kidnapped him, but he just went with the flow. And stood close by giving advice and correction where he needed it.

At some point Marinette had shown up. She didn't make jer presence known but he knew she was there. She stood quietly on the sidelines, just observing.

When the neck of the dummy started looking loose he stopped the training session. "We can not afford another dummy replacement."

"Is that where all those heads came from?" Marinette gestured at the three heads on the ground on the back wall.

"Durability testing," Arnou shrugged. Plague realized he may be rubbing off on him a little too much.

She was about to retort when a guard called her and caught her attention. It was almost time for the soldiers to start training. Arnou helped Plague as they quickly rearranged the room back to the way they found it and disposed of the heads of the decapitated dummies. Arnoue left to get ready and washed up for soldier's practice. When he looked back over towards where Marinette was standing the guard had disappeared and she had transformed. She looked distressed.

"What happened?"

"There's been an akuma sighting near the field. I have to go get the others. You stay put or do… whatever it is you do!" she exclaimed then ran away to find the other Miraculous Holders.

An akuma here means big trouble. If they manage to get caught his whole mission would be jeopardized. And worse of all, Hawkmoth would be pissed. He needed to find the Akuma before they did.

He quickly exited the old auditorium before the instructor and the other soldiers rounded the corner.

'_Plagg!'_ Plague hissed telepathically, '_Plagg! Where are you?'_

'_At the supply closet you call a room. Your father may be evil, but at least he knows how to furnish a room.'_

'_Worry about that later. Just find me in the forest to transform. The mission is at risk.'_

"I'm here." He teleported in front of him in his kwami form.

"Plagg, Claws out!" In a flash of green light his cloak was replaced with a skin tight suit. He took to the trees to avoid being seen. He jumped from branch to branch, silent as a mouse as he moved closer and closer towards the force field.

As he got closer to the field he could hear the disturbance in its humming and he could see who was behind it.

The Evilistrator was a newbie who joined Hawkmoth's army just before he was capture. He stayed to himself mostly. Plague never really got to know him but he knew he had a talent for art.

He was sketching on his tablet, bringing his creations to life and trying to break the shield. So far he had drawn a boxing glove, a heel shoe, and a hammer.

"Stop Evilistrator! You're making a ruckus." He dropped down from the trees and landed in a crouch.

The redhead looked scared at first but calmed down once he took a closer look and looked more annoyed. "Oh, you're awake."

"And you're waking everybody up. Every tremor you make with those drawings gives away your location. You need to run while you still can."

"I'm not going anywhere. Maybe I want the guards and Miraculous Holders to come."

"That's suicide."

"I know."

So he wants to die. How could he argue against that. Hawkmoth tries to make every one of his akumas' lives a living hell when they first join and every now and then.

Four akumas had commited suicide three months ago because of his bullying.

But lately Hawkmoth has been getting more restless, his threats cruller, and his way a lot more harsh.

Nathaniel is no older than sixteen years old. He isn't the youngest to have joined the Akumas, but he is one of the most sensitive. He's also still fresh. He hasn't been an akuma long enough to want to die.

"You don't want to die. You want to get out." Evilistrator opened his mouth to retort but quickly shut it. "You haven't been apart of the Akumas long enough to want to die."

Nathaniel gritted his teeth. The newbies always thought that they had it though it though the first couple of days. Hawkmoth's torture was gradual. The longer you stayed in the gang the more comfortable you got and the worse the torture was. Verbal abuse turned into slaps turned to nights in the dungeon with chains wrapped around your neck.

"Leave Nathaniel."

I'm not going anywhere." He stood his ground, his hand balled into a fist at his side and tightly gripped his tablet in the other. Plague's eyes blazed with green smoke wisping from the corners and his pupils dilated. Nathaniel gasped and stumbled back from the hidden barrier.

"Leave! Now!" Every time someone was recruited into the Akumas they were taught this on the first day.

_Never upset the Beast. _And Nathaniel was getting very close to doing just that.

He cleared his throat and straightened up to appear as if he hadn't been phased. "Fine. I'll go. But don't think that it's because of you." With one last huff, he marched off into the forest until he thought he was out of sight and started running. Soon after Nathaniel disappeared behind the trees and bushes od the outside Ladybug and a battalion of foot soldiers behind her appeared.

"Split up and check the area. They couldn't have gone far," she commanded. The battalion ran in opposite directions to survey the area while Ladybug inspected the barrier.

Unlike the soldiers, there wasn't a scrap or a twig caught on her suit. She had always been agile. She had always worried about her weight too. She worked out constantly when they were younger. He could see from the muscles twitching in her thigh as she walked that that hadn't changed.

"General Ladybug!" Three soldiers came from the right with the rest of the group behind him. "We didn't see anyone."

"We were empty on our side too." The soldiers from the battalion who went to the left came running back too. "The culprit may have escaped."

"Damn it!" She cursed under her breath and kicked the tree trunk closest to her. With that, Plague departed.

It was obvious that Hawkmoth hadn't sent Evilistrator. It was too early in the plan to send back up or else he's already been called back. This could only mean that Hawkmoth was getting anxious, and soon more akumas would try to take initiate to capture Miraculous Base #1. He needed to hurry up the investigation, or else.


	10. Chapter 10

He needed to know what was going on back at Headquarters. Nathanial showing up could only mean nothing good. He is also scared for the tomato head's life. Evilustrator is still a newbie and if Hawkmoth finds out that he had snuck away to the enemy's base without permission, there was going to be hell to pay.

Plague was sitting on the edge of his mattress. If he wanted to know what was going on at Headquarters then there was only one person he could ask.

It's been a long time since he had created his own Mindspace. The last time he made one was when he and Ladybug had been apart on two different missions. They used the Mindspace to communicate with each other on those lonely nights.

But that had been eons ago, before he was captured. He's out of practice. He still remembers Master Fu's teachings. Plague took a deep breath and laid down on his back.

To make a Mindspace you need to be focused. Your soul has to leave the body and dive into the depths of the mind. Some are able to open one in a crowded place, but it took years of meditation and a ton of patience to maintain one with so much activity. The ability comes natural to some.

He had sent Plagg just for that purpose. Plagg didn't have a quiet bone in his body. He was probably hanging out with Tikki around the base.

First he slowed his breathing to focus on the sound of his heartbeat. He mapped out each heartbeat, letting it's rhythm wash over him and relax his limbs. He delved back into the deepest parts of his mind and pictured a dark room with two chairs and a coffee table between them. Then he opened the private link. When he opened his eyes Onii-chan was sitting in the chair in front of him.

They were in the Mindspace.

Onii-chan's japanese troll mask was pulled to the left side of her face. Without the mask covering her face her calculating eyes were revealed. There was a softness to them though, going well with the tiny smile she wore. "Hello, Plague."

"Hello Onii-chan." He allowed himself a small smile. Onii is the closest person he had to a friend back at Headquarters. It isn't like they had the freedom like normal kids and teenagers to go hang out at the park or the movies.

Hanging out with anybody in the Akumas is more like hunting for food to fill the mess hall or bonding over who captured the most kwamis and Miraculous Holders. Besides the hunting, he had no interest in none of it. He found that she didn't either. That was what they bonded over.

"How is the mission going?" She brought her teacup up to her mouth to take a sip of the warm drink.

"I found out that the Base is hidden and protected by an invisible force field that keeps it off of the radars."

"Did you find out how to deactivate it?"

"I'm still working on it."

"Well you better hurry. Things are starting to get hectic over here." Her voice was a quiet hiss as if someone would be able to hear her in here other than him.

"What do you mean?" Plague leaned forward in his chair.

She looked nervous. "Hawkmoth has been more restless as of late. He's been stalking around more lately. Quietly observing. Volpina has been visiting his office more often too."

Hawkmoth rarely comes out of his office or reveals himself. He doesn't even come out to greet the new recruits, or to issue out punishments, or to order out missions. Volpina is in charge of punishments unless it was his own. He leaves the recruiting and missions to his assistant, Mayura.

"Just keep an eye on him. Watch out for the tomato head too."

"Evilustrator?"

"He snuck out of Headquarters and came here without Hawkmoth's permission."

She nodded, "Understood. Be careful."

"As always." Onii-chan, the furniture, and the dark room disappeared when he opened his eyes. A flow of nuasea crashed into him when he tried to sit up. It's a side effect of using the Mindspace for a long time.

Plague sighed and sank back on to the bed. What is Hawkmoth planning?


	11. Chapter 11

Ladybug hissed as her arm started to burn. Her arm had started bothering her a week after Plague showed up. It was just itching at first. Tikki had found her some ointment. It worked for a while, but then it started to burn. She planned to go to the healers later.

"Is the mark still bothering you?" Tikki whispered close to her ear. She was in her human form keeping Ladybug company as she walked towards the courtyard. Master Fu had asked her to come meet the new transfer. He said he was a Miraculous Holder.

"Yes, but it's nothing to worry about. I'll go to the healer as soon as I greet the new transfer."

Entering the main hallway of the used-to-be school, she entered the old principal's office which has been turned into Master Fu's office. They had taken out the old desk and used the old files and extra wood for bonfires when required. They left the chairs.

The first room is just for show, though. The second room connected to the first is Master Fu's actual space. They cleared out the other desk and the other dusty and rusted furniture. Master Fu moved everything of his into the second room, leaving the first empty for a reception room.

Master was standing in the reception room with the new Miraculous Holder when Ladybug walked through the office's door. His back was turned towards her so she could only see his black hair with the tips dyed teal blue, his blue jacket, and his blue jeans, and his black and red checkered sneakers. He looked to have a punk rock style going on. He's lean too.

"Ah, Ladybug." Master Fu acknowledged her after the door shut behind her. "Meet Viperion." The transfer turned around.

The first thing she noticed was the studded earring in his left ear.

"Luka is fine."

"I'm Ladybug and this is Tikki," she introduced herself and the kwami sitting on her shoulder. She held her hand out for him to shake."Welcome to the Team, Luka."

He clasped his hand with hers. "Thanks."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I must be off. I hope you settle in well." She bowed to both of them before leaving the office and continuing down the hall in the opposite direction to the Medbay.

"I hope the nurses will be able to figure out what's wrong." Tikki flew a few feet ahead of her. The soldiers and guards were in training so some of the nurses and healers were the only ones in the hall.

To get to the Medbay you'd have to pass by the Training Hall. As she was passing by she saw a speckle of black out of the corner of her eye. Plague was leaning on the door of the Hall, peering in on the training of the soldiers and guards.

"_Why is he watching them train?" _Ladybug found her curiosity was more important in this moment.

"Marinette? Where are you going?" Tikki flew in front of her face with her hands on her tiny red hips. "The Medbay is the other way."

"I'm coming Tikki. I just have to check something." Tikki looked over her shoulder and saw the blende. She looked back at her and raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you want to speak to The Plague?"

"I don't I- I just want to see what he's up to. "

Tikki looked back and forth between the two and sighed. She dropped her hands from her hips. "Fine. But you're going to the Medbay as soon as you're done."

"Yes." The insect based kwami flew back towards the end of the hall and Ladybug quietly padded over to the old killing machine. He must;ve known that she was behind him, because he didn't jump or comment when she appeared by his side, looking through the cracked door as well to see what he was looking at.

Arnou and Instructor Louis were sparing one-on-one with swords. The other soldiers and guards were sitting on the floor or leaning against the wall, both watching the intense fight occurring in the middle of the room.

Instructor Louis looked like he was struggling as Arnou met him strike for strike. The young man had come a long way from that time he watched him spar in the courtyard. And she's guessing that was because of the man beside her and their private lessons.

With one more swipe of his sword, Instructor Louis was knocked off his feet and the brunette soldier was pointing his sword's point at his neck. Ladybug could see the corner of his mouth lifted from her side view. "Checkmate."

Louis smacked the sword away with the back of his hand. Arnou backed up as Louis picked himself up. The mix of soldiers and guards except for a few cheered and congratulated him for putting the mean grouch in his place as Louis walked off. Some even asked where he's training, apparently remembering the first spar session between the two too.

"What kind of teacher gets mad when his students are progressing?" Plague voiced. She couldn't see his eyes because of the cloak's hood covering his face but she could tell he was angry by his tense stance. His question seemed more rhetorical than directed at her but she still felt the need to answer.

"Instructor Louis has always had it out for Arnou since the first day since Arnou called him out on a strategy plan of his in front of Master Fu. He tries to make an example of him whenever he can ever since then." She noticed that his hand gripped his shoulder tighter after she said that. For some reason she wanted to make him feel better.

"He's been getting better since he started training with you." Two of the soldiers patted him on the back and started leading him to the barracks. "He might even become on of the Master's Elites."

"Elites?"

"Master Fu has an elite squad of soldiers that he calls the 'Elites.' He made them so that the Miraculous Holders wouldn't feel superior over everyone. Some of the Elites are even stronger than the MHs."

"Including you?" His frown quirked into a small, elusive smile when her expression soured.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Marinette," Tikki hissed and tugged on her polka dotted hood. When she turned back around to tell Plague goodbye he had already walked off through the Hall, most likely to where he sleeps for the nights.

"Are you sure nothing happened between you two?" She was looking in the direction of where Plague disappeared to.

"Yes, Tikki. Let's go to the healer."

* * *

"Where does it burn the most?" A healer quickly got to them. A redhead was in the Medbay at the moment and sat Ladybug on the edge of one of the stretchers that are lined up against the wall.

"Her arm has been bothering her. She said it was itching at first, but now she says it's starting to burn." Tikki landed on Ladybug's head and explained it all to the healer. She used her hands to express her distress.

The healer held her hand in her open palm and slowly raised up the levee of her undershirt. Her arm was bandaged from her wrist to her armpit. "When is the last time you've unwrapped your bandages?"

"Last week." She changes her bandages out every week. Before she changed them out her arm looked just fine, it was just itchy.

"Tikki, can you hand me that pair of scissors?" Tikki flew over and picked up the scissors and handed them to the healer. "Thank you." Tikki landed back on Ladybug's head.

The healer was careful as she eased the scissors between the bandages and her skin. Ladybug flinched as the scissors slid against a certain part of her arm. The healer squeezed her hand in apology.

The bandages fell away and all three looked down. They all gasped.

Stemming from her upper arm, inky black veins branched up and down her arm, turning the skin around it a sickly pallid color.

"It looks as if you've been poisoned. I've never seen anything like this," the woman shook her head.

"I have." Tikki's eyes were watering when she spoke. She wiped a falling tear from her cheek.

"Tikki?" She has rarely seen shed tears, especially over her.

"That isn't poison," she shook her head. "It's a curse."

"A curse?"

"The curse of Daunic. It's very ancient and very few know how to cast it or are even able to. It's deadly, Marinette! It travels, slowly breaking down your body before it eats you whole!"

"Well there's a cure for it, right?"

Tikki flew off of Ladybug's head and landed on her open palm of the hand rest on the bed. She cuddled into her palm. The healer closed Ladybug's other hand with her and covered them with both of her. She knew what they were saying.

It's certain death.


	12. Chapter 12

**I wonder how many people are still reading this story. Lol**

* * *

"Marinette, slow down!"

Marinette was racing down the hallway towards the library. She had just left the Infirmary after finding out about the mark on her arm. The healer managed to wrap her arm back up before the bluenette bolted. She was holding her arm over her cloak, making sure it's hidden as she ran.

The library's doors banged open against the walls when she burst through them. She immediately ran towards the shelves. Tikki was more hesitant. It was late in the evening so the library was closed to everyone except the Miraculous Holders and Master Fu. Sometimes the librarian would stay after hours too, but that didn't look to be the case today.

"Marinette, calm down. You won't find anything this worked up." Her voice was in a whisper. They were in a library after all.

"Biodiversity… biochemistry… biology!" She yanked the book from the shelf, making the others beside it fall with loud thumps to the ground. Tikki flinched at the resounding echo while Marinette sped walked over the sitting area and slammed the book down on one of the tables and fell into a seat. She started flipping through the pages.

"What are you planning on finding in an old biology textbook?" Tikki floated in front of her. A frown was heavy on her small face.

"The curse affects the body right? So there should be something in here about how to counteract it."

"A curse is different from a poison, Marinette." Tikki sat down on the desk' surface and pulled the book from her hands using her magic. "A poison has to be absorbed or entered into your body to break you down. A curse is magical. It can still affect you without even being inside of you. You can't just take some medicine or perform some home remedy to get rid of it."

"Tikki! What am I going to do?" Ladybug slammed her head down on the table and buried her fingers in her hair. Tikki frowned. She hates feeling useless while her mistress is suffering. She needs to have a talk with Plagg after this. She flew over and landed on top of her head, gently smoothing over the small tufts of hair that were sticking up.

"First you need to calm down. You won't get anything accomplished. For now you need to get some rest."

The polka-dotted fighter sighed, "Alright, Tikki. Okay. I'll go rest."

* * *

Arnou was soaked to the bone with sweat. His shirt was tossed over the back of a chair on the sideline. His arms were starting to feel the strain from swinging his sword and Plague hadn't broken a sweat.

"You've gotten better at the sword." Arnou was sitting on his haunches in the middle of the training room floor. Chat looked fine for someone who's been training for over an hour. He looked cool as a cucumber. He even still had on his cloak. Isn't he hot? "Maybe we should work on the bow next."

"How are you not tired?" The boy has the stamina of a god.

"Years of practice." He walked away from the fatigued soldier over to the supply closet to grab the targets for shooting practice. "Training up your dexterity will help your endurance. Try doing hand exercises or running more to work on your footwork."

Arnou took a water used his abandoned white t-shirt to wipe the sweat off of his face. "Did someone train you?"

Plague froze. His hands twitched. Then he started setting the targets up again. "My father."

"He must've been a great fighter."

"He was. Before he drove himself mad." He picked up a training bow from the rack and a quiver of arrows. He notched an arrow and took aim and let it go. It hit a bullseye.

"You don't have to keep talking about it if you don't want to. It sounds like it's complicated." Arnou took a swig of water.

"Complicated is… one word you can use to call it."

"Do you still talk to him?" He set the water bottle down on the floor and draped his saturated shirt over the back of the chair.

He grabbed another bow from off the rack and another quiver of arrows.

"We talk… occasionally."

"You don't have to sugarcoat it. I know it's tough. My dad and I don't have the best relationship either." He noticed the arrow and took aim and let it go. It hit the blue.

"You're not keeping your stance consistent. Keep your body and feet parallel to the target even when shooting your arrow. Don't hold your breath either. Breath normally."

Following his instructions, Arnou straightened up his stance and steadied his breathing. He shot the arrow again. It hit the yellow. Close to a bullseye.

"Why is your relationship with your father strained?" Plague asked.

"Differences and disagreements. My father is a knight. One of the best. He's a proud man, too. He wants to continue the legacy. He wants me to become a knight like him."

"But you don't want to be a knight."

"Not a knight. Maybe an assassin. Or maybe even a mercenary for hire. A knight requires you to work under a liege and to pledge them your allegiance. I rather work for myself than feel trapped by responsibilities."

"Sounds like a nice way to live."

"It does, doesn't it."

* * *

They trained for a while longer before they split for the night. Plagg was sitting on the bed shuffling a deck of cards.

"Where'd you even get a deck of cards from?" Plague asked as he dropped down on the bed besides the kwami.

"Some of the soldiers were playing 'War' on the yard. They were called for duty and happened to leave the cards behind. It didn't look like they needed them anyway."

"Why did you come with me when I was kidnapped?" Plagg sighed. "This again, kid?"

"You could've avoided Hawkmoth entirely. You could've stayed here with Tikki and just found another Holder."

"Listen well kid, because this is the absolute last time I'm going to say this. I didn't stay here because you weren't here, and I am not taking another Holder because you are my master and only you. Got it."

"Got it." Plague turned over and buried his face in his sheets. So Plagg couldn't see the goofy smile that had spread across his face. He's asked this question many times over. Plagg has said this many times over, but it's always nice to hear it again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Life sucks right now. Hope you guys lives are better. I'm working on updates and one-shots now. Have a good day/night.**

* * *

Plague felt mildly out of place. It's been a while since he's been out in civilization. It was like traveling forward into the future.

Miraculous Holders were born into a different world from ordinary people. The world of MHs are things of fantasy to the people walking by him. Magic and Kawmis have no place in the world outside.

To walk among the populace, Plague had to ditch his cloak. People would definitely look at him strangely if he were to walk around the ball in a black cloak. Plagg looked around and found him a black hoodie and a sickness mask. He didn't ask where he found them from.

Without the space the cloak's hood provided, his eyes were more visible. The hoodie hid some of his face but the mask gave most of his cover.

He was standing in front of a storefront window staring at the mannequins in the window.

Hot Topic is one of the smallest stores in the mall. It's never really busy either. It's a good store to shop in when all you wear is the color black, too.

I'm guessing Master Fu let you out.." The most melodious voice flowed to him from behind. Peripherally he noticed a touch of red and black polka dots.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you were following me."" He turned on his heel to face the pale beauty. She had tied her hair up into a ponytail using a red ribbon. She was wearing a red blouse with ruffled sleeves, a black pleated skirt, and black knee-high boots. She looked to leave a theme going on.

"People have better things to do than follow you around." She situated her hand on her hip. It was then he noticed the small shopping bags in her hands. Two of them were from clothing stores while one looked to be a bag full of sweets.

"It didn't take a lot of convincing."

She made a 'hmm' sound then turned towards the store. The master told him a lot about the first time they talked. Believe or not the Base had changed a lot from when he was little. The force field, for one, was not there.

Master Fu is the one who controls the force field. It was a magical spell that was used long ago. Where he had to use two magical items to perform it. The spell was only a one time use and drained the items of their magic. The items now act as holders to keep the shield in place. So if the two items were to be broken. Then the barrier would fall. But the two items are being hidden in some secret part of the Base.

And so no one would find out even the relative location of the Base, they set up warp spots to teleport them wherever they need to go; whether it be a mission or to the store for some groceries.

Hawkmoth sent him here to find out how to conquer the base. He told him about the barrier and how it's the reason you can't find the base on any radars or out in the open. He told them that there's a control switch. He just didn't say what it was. He needed more information, and even though he didn't want to admit it, he was still hesitant.

The Base had been his home in his youth and Master Fu had been like a second father to him. To sell them out to Hawkmoth would be betraying his second home, his second father, Ladybug.

"So Hot Topic?" Her voice pulled him from his inner turmoil. "You need some new clothes."

"Clothes, actually."

She turned back towards him, blinking in shock. "You mean you don't have any clothes to wear?"

"Nope. Didn't have time to pack any before being dragged out of a cave by my pits, princess."

He noticed a small glimmer of guilt in her eye before she turned her head back towards the store. "By your pits, hmm?"

"Alright." Suddenly there was some confidence in her voice and stance and she grabbed his arm.

Plague just stared at the place that she had a lock on. She's been becoming more familiar with him lately. When he first got here she had refused to touch him. She didn't even want to be in the same room with him at first. The only reason she nursed him back to health was because those were her orders. He wonder what's changed.

She dragged him into the store towards the deep corner where they were mostly hidden behind racks of clothes. There were five racks around them. There were two racks of pants, a rack full of hoodies and jackets, and two racks of black shirts. Ladybug started searching through the rack of shirts.

"Is there a particular kind of shirt you want?" She asked.

"Umm, all black." He started looking racks.

She turned around, her look was more of disbelief. "You mean you want a plain black T-shirt?"

"Yeah." He had pulled out a black hoodie.

"Don't you think you should add some more color or something?"

He placed the hoodie over his arm and stared at the rack. She noticed he does that a lot when he's thinking. He would stare off into a random place or at what he was thinking of with a black expression.

"Fine. White jacket then." He pulled said white jacket from the rack to his left.

* * *

They ended up leaving the store and the mall with at least two bags of clothes for him, which mostly consisted of black shirts, black pants, two pairs of black boots, a pair of sneakers, along with a black hoodie and jacket and the white jacket she convinced him to buy.

They had walked out of the mall and into the parking lot towards the warp spot when Ladybug started up a conversation. "How has Arnou's training been going?"

"It's been fine. He's been taking well to the bow and the gauntlets."

"He's been going well in training. You're a good teacher."

Huh? "Are you okay? Have you hit your head?"

"No. Why would you think that?" She subconsciously rubbed the arm opposite to where he was walking besides her. She was staring down at the ground.

"Is something wrong with your arm?"

"Huh? Uh, no. Not really. I just scarred it that's all." She stopped rubbing her arm but she looked shaken by the question he asked. "We're at the warp spot."

Said warp spot was in the woods just off the main road, a mile away from the mall.

Ladybug felt for a place on the tree. When her hand brushed over a certain part of the bark a ladybug insignia glowed on the tree and they were surrounded in light. When the light dies out, they were standing in the courtyard in front of the Base.

"Expect one more during your mo rning practice tomorrow." Plague blinked.

"What?" Is she going to give him someone to teach.

"I want to spar with you. How am I supposed to see how good of a teacher you if I don't see it first hand." There was a tilt to her words and a slight quirk to her lips. She was teasing him. A little at least.


End file.
